CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard has suspended the search, Saturday evening, for a missing boater in Lake Erie off Perry Power Plant.

Rescue crews searched by air and sea for 10 hours since the initial report and covered 64 square miles, an area slightly smaller than the city of Cleveland.

At 10:34 a.m., Coast Guard Sector Eastern Great Lakes in Buffalo, N.Y., received a MADAY call on VHF-FM ch 16 producing a single 30 mile-long line of bearing off the Painesville, Ohio, RFF tower. A helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Detroit and a boat crew from Station Cleveland Harbor were launched to search. An hour into the search, the Air Station Detroit crew was diverted to assist in a separate person-in-the-water case in Lake Erie off Ashtabula. The Cleveland Harbor crew continued searching.

Just before 2 p.m., watchstanders at Sector Eastern Great Lakes were notified by a Lake County Fire Department boat crew that they had come across coolers and other debris floating in the water 1-2 nautical miles off the Perry Power Plant. Divers with the Lake County Dive Team also located and searched the capsized and partially submerged 23-foot vessel.

After refueling, following the rescue they had diverted for, the Detroit crew returned to the search and rescued one responsive person. The fire department boat crew rescued one responsive person. Both man and woman were wearing life jackets. The Cleveland Harbor crew rescued a man who was unresponsive and later pronounced deceased at a local hospital.

Following the three rescues, it was learned that there had been another man in the water.

A second helicopter and crew from Air Station Detroit replaced the first and a boat crew from Station Fairport took over for the crew from Cleveland Harbor.

“Suspending a search and rescue case is one of the most difficult decisions for us to make. Our crews – in conjunction with our Ohio state and local partners – conducted an exhaustive search for the missing individual and we are greatly appreciative of the immense effort by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the northeast Ohio community of first responders to attempt to return the individual safely to their family. We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of those involved in this tragic incident,” said Capt. Mark Kuperman, the Commander of Coast Guard Sector Eastern Great Lakes.

Rescue crews involved in the search:

Coast Guard Air Station Detroit
Coast Guard Station Cleveland Harbor
Coast Guard Station Fairport
Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Lake County Fire Department
Lake County Sheriff’s Office
Perry Fire Department
Lake County Police Department
Lake County Dive Team
Perry Police Department
Mentor Fire Department
Painesville Fire Department
Perry Fire Rescue

—USCG—